North Berwick Golf Club (The West Links)

From Pit to Original Redan

The West Links at North Berwick Golf Club began as a six-hole course when the club was formed in 1832. Extensions followed as more land became available, with nine holes in place by 1868 and a full 18-hole course established in 1877. A further westward expansion in 1895 created a longer and more demanding layout.

The course runs along the Firth of Forth, where the sea affects six holes and the beach can become a hazard at high tide. Stone walls cross fairways and guard greens, while burns, hollows, and blind shots reflect the links' gradual development rather than a single master plan.

Its closing stretch contains three holes known far beyond North Berwick. The 13th, "Pit", asks for an approach over a wall to a sunken green. The 14th, "Perfection", rewards two exact shots, followed by the original Redan at the 15th. Ben Sayers supervised major alterations in 1932, yet the modern course remains close in character to the links played at the end of the nineteenth century.